Device for protecting and reinforcing the projecting ends of paper wrapped crayons



Oct. 13, 1953 R. H. WENDT DEVICE FOR PROTECTING AND REINFORCING THE PROJECTING ENDS OF PAPER WRAPPED CRAYONS Filed June 29, 1951 Patented Oct. 13, 1953 DEVICE FOR PROTECTING AND REINFORC- ING THE PROJECTING ENDS OF PAPER WRAPPED CRAY'ONS Robert H. Wendt, Evanston, Ill.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,377

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to devices for protecting and reinforcing the projecting end of a paper wrapped crayon. This application is a division of my prior application, Ser. No. 127,158, filed November 14, 1949, now matured into Patent No. 2,562,345, issued July 31, 1951.

In the use of crayons of the type covered by a paper wrapping these crayons have a longitudinally extending thread, which serves to start a spiral of paper which can be unwrapped from the end of the crayon to expose a cylindrical portion of the writing material of the crayon.

It is a common occurrence that the user places too much pressure upon such a crayon, resulting in the breaking off of the small projecting end of the crayon and necessitating the exposure of a further portion of the crayon by unwrapping the paper. Frequently breakage follows unwrapping, so that practically a large portion of the crayon may be used up by breakage before the user finishes his use of the crayon.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved protector for crayons of the type having a paper wrapping, so that the projecting end of the crayon may be supported against breakage by the use of too much pressure during writing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved protector for crayon points, which may also be used for protecting the point of the crayon against breakage when the crayon is being carried in the pocket.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved crayon protector which permits the user to grasp the body of the crayon through windows provided in the protector, so that the protector for the crayon will not be forced downward when pressure is placed on the end of the crayon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in partial section, showing a crayon protector of the type which is wrapped with paper.

In this view 42 indicates the paper body of the crayon, which is cylindrical in shape; and 4! indicates the frusto-conical paper wrapping, which is removed by unwrapping spirally a strip at a time to expose the cylindrical crayon 44.

The present protector preferably comprises a molded plastic member, or it may be made out 2 of metal; and any of the modern plastics may be employed.

The protector has a cylindrical body 29 and a frusto-conical portion 33, which terminates in an integral cylindrical end portion 44. The cylindrical body portion 29 has a bore large enough to engage frictionally with the body 42 of a paper wrapped crayon. I

The frusto-conical portion 33 may be of substantially the same taper as the paper wrapping i! on the paper wrapped crayon. The cylindrical end portion 4 3 has a cylindrical bore of sufficient size to pass and engage the sides of the end portion 44 of the exposed crayon.

It is of the utmost importance that this cylindrical end portion 43 have a substantial fit with the exterior of the cylindrical projecting crayon portion 43. It is only by fitting and engaging the breakable crayon 43 that the cylindrical housing portion 44 can reinforce and support the crayon adjacent its end. The length of the tubular portion 44 is preferably such that only a small portion of the crayon 43 projects outward beyond it.

It might be said that the length of the tubular portion 44 is sufficient to cover the major portion of the exposed crayon 43; but the protector may he slid downward on the body 42 until the small tubular portion 44 almost covers all the projecting crayon 43.

The shape of the protector at 33, where it is frusto-conical, may be of any suitable shape; but it is preferably made frusto-conical to correspond to the shape of the end of the pencil and to bring the size of the end portion 4t down to that of the lead or crayon 43.

The protector is preferably provided with a reinforcing rim 30 at its upper end and with a pair of windows or openings 3% on the opposite sides of its cylindrical body 29. The purpose of the openings 38 is to permit the user to grasp the pencil body 42 through these windows. If the user were to grasp the protector itself and then press down on the lead or crayon 43, the pencil 42 might slide upward out of the protector; and this is particularly true when the user has the protector moved downward until it almost covers .the projecting crayon 43. I Therefore, the two Windows 38 permit the user to'grasp the body of the pencil and exert such pressure as is necessary on the pencil itself. The protector, which frictionally engages the body 62 of the pencil, reinforces the projecting lead or crayon 43 against bending stresses.

As the crayon 43 has practically a very low strength, its cantilever 'strength' is greatly increased by being encased in the tube 44, which in turn is supported by the body 42. Thus the user may unwrap as much of the paper as he pleases and place the protector over the end of the crayon body, exposing only a small portion of the crayon 43, such as 3 5 or of an inch. As the crayon wears away the user may slide the protector upward on the body 42 to expose a little more of the crayon 43 to be used up.

This adjustment of the protector upward on the pencil or crayon may continue until the frusto-conical portion 33 engages the frustoconical portion of the paper wrapped pencil. When the projecting part of the crayon is no longer exposed at the end of the tube 44, then it is necessary to unwrap more of the paper wrappings of the body 42.

By means of this protecting device the relatively fragile crayon filling of a paper wrapped crayon may be so reinforced that excessive pressure applied to it will not break it; and the user may actually avoid breakage to such an extent that the crayon is actually used up by writing instead of breakage.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodimerit of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A device for protecting and reinforcing the crayon filling of a paper wrapped crayon, comprising a protector unit having a tubular body portion provided with a cylindrical bore of a size to receive and frictionally engage the body of a paper wrapped crayon adjacent the writing end thereof, said protector unit having an integral tapered rigid extension carried by said tubular body portion, said tapered extension having an inner frusto-conical surface surrounding the tapered paper Wrapping of the crayon and having a varying diameter throughout its length to frictionally engage the outer conical surface of the paper wrapping throughout the tapering portion of the wrapper, the said tapered extension being provided with an elongated cylindrical tubular extension extending beyond the paper of the crayon and having an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the projecting lead portion of the crayon and frictionally engaging the cylindrical projecting lead portion of the crayon over the major portion of its length to reinforce and support the projecting lead portion of the crayon against, breaking and bending stresses, the said protector unit being slidably adjustable on the paper wrapped crayon body until the tubular extension surrounding the lead of the crayon terminates closely adjacent to the end of the lead and the inner frusto-conical extension is in frictional engagement throughout its length with the entire outer conical surface of the tapered portion ofthe paper wrapping, to give a maximum reinforcement against bending and breaking stresses when a minimum amount of the crayon lead is projecting from the unit.

2. A device for protecting and reinforcing the crayon filling of a paper wrapped crayon, comprising a protector unit having a tubular body portion provided with a cylindrical bore of a size to receive and frictionally engage the body of a paper wrapped crayon adjacent the writing end thereof, said protector unit having an integral tapered rigid extension carried by said tubular body portion, said tapered extension having an inner frusto-conical surface surrounding the tapered paper wrapping of the crayon and having a varying diameter throughout its length to frictionally engage the outer conical surface of the paper wrapping throughout the tapering portion of the wrapper, the said tapered extension being provided with an elongated cylindrical tubular extension extending beyond the paper of the crayon and having an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the projecting lead portion of the crayon and frictionally engaging the cylindrical projecting lead portion of the crayon over the major portion of its length to reinforce and support the projecting lead portion of the crayon against breaking and bending stresses, the said protector unit being slidably adjustable on the paper wrapped crayon body until the tubular extension surrounding the lead of the crayon terminates closely adjacent to the end of the lead and the inner frusto-conical extension is in frictional engagement throughout its length with the entire outer conical surface of the tapered portion of the paper wrapping, to give a maximum reinforcement against bending and breaking stresses when a minimum amount of the crayon lead is projecting from the unit, the said protector unit having its tubular body portion provided with a pair of elongated oval and diametrically opposed window openings, so that the paper wrapped crayon may have its body grasped by opposed thumb and finger of the user to exert downward pressure on the paper wrapped crayon instead of the protector unit, to prevent the paper wrapped crayon from sliding upward in the protector unit during its use in writing.

3. A paper wrapped crayon having the paper at one end thereof removed to provide a conically shaped portion and a cylindrical portion of the crayon extending outwardly therefrom in combination with a crayon protector unit, said protector unit comprising a tubular body portion having a cylindrical bore of the size to receive and frictionally engage the cylindrical portion of the paper body of the paper wrapped crayon adjacent the conical paper portion thereof, said protector unit having an integral tapered rigid extension carried by said tubular body portion, said tapered extension having an inner frustoconical surface surrounding the tapered conical paper wrapping of the crayon and having a varying diameter throughout its length to frictionally engage the outer conical surface of the paper wrapping throughout the tapering portion of the wrapping, the said tapered extension being provided with an elongated cylindrical tubular ex-- tension extending beyond the paper of the crayon and having an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the projecting lead portion of the crayon and frictionally engaging the cylindrical projecting lead portion of the crayon over the major portion of its length to reinforce and support the projecting lead portion of the lead crayon against breaking and bending stresses, the said protector unit being slidably adjustable on the paper wrapped crayon body until the tubular extension surrounding the lead of the crayon terminates closely adjacent to the end of the lead and the inner frusto-conical extension is in frictional engagement throughout its length with the entire outer surface of the tapered conical portion of the paper wrapping, to give a maximum reinforcement against bending and breaking stresses when a minimum amount of the crayon lead is projecting from the unit, said protector unit having its tubular body portion provided with a pair of elongated oval and diametrically opposed window openings, so that the paper wrapped crayon may have its body grasped by opposed thumb and finger of the user to exert downward pressure on the paper wrapped crayon instead of the protector unit to prevent the paper wrapped crayon from sliding upwardly in the protector unit during its use in writing.

ROBERT H. WENDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

